Heel grooving machine



HEEL GROOVING MACHINE Filed Dec. 21, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug, 3'13, 1%32. L J. g qzzgmg 1 874;,42

HEEL GROOVING MACHINE Filed Dec. 21, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE LEWIS J. BAZZONI, 0F SWAMPSGOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE INIACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON,NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY HEEL GROOVING MACHINE Application filed December 21, 1929. Serial No. 415,867.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes and is illustrated herein as embodied in a machine for forming grooves in the breasts of heels.

In Letters Patent No. 1,718,177, granted on June 18, 1929, on application of lVilliam H. Nutt, there is disclosed a heel having a straight and narrow groove, slot, or channel formed in its breast, which groove, slot, or channel is coincident with the heightwise median line of the breast of the heel and receives the marginal portions ofthe heel cover. Machines for forming grooves of this character are disclosed in application for Letters Patent of "William H. Nutt, Serial No. 257,412, filed February 27, 1928, and application for Let ters Patent of Lewis J. Bazzoni, Serial l lo. 3%,158, filed February 15, 1929. In forming grooves in heels by the use of each of these machines thesuccessive steps of positioning a heel in a heel carrier, moving the carrier past a circular saw to form a groove such as above defined in the breast of the heel, returning the carrier to its loading position, and re forming means and heel-carrying means com-- prising one or more heel carriers, the groove, slot, or channel-forming means and the heelcarrying means being constrained for movement relatively to each other in an orbital path to form grooves, slots, or channels in the heels of shoes.

In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the illustrated machine is provided with means for positioning a heel upon each of the carriers and for securing the same thereto as the carrier rotates past a circular saw about an axis substantially normal to the plane of the saw to form a straight heel-cover-receiving groove, slot,or channel coincident with the heightwise median line of the breast of the heel in the breast ing face of the heel, heel centralizing fingers for positioning the heel widthwise thereof 5 upon the surfaces and a holddown clamp for holding the positioned heel in place upon the heel-engaging surfaces of the carrier.

In order to move the clamp into contact with the heel positioned on the carrier to secure the heel to the carrier while the carrier rotates from a heel loading station and past the circular saw, and in order to release the heel from the carrier after the groove has been formed, the illustrated machine, in accordance with other features of the present invention, is provided with a cam for controlling the movement of each of the clamps relatively to its corresponding carrier. A further feature of this invention provides novel means for controlling the depth to which the grooves, slots, or channels are cut in the heels. For this purpose the illustrated circular saw is constructed and arranged for adjustment relatively to the path of movement of each of the carriers.

The machine illustrated as embodying the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the illustrated heel grooving, slotting, or channeling machine, portions of which have been broken away to show clearly the construction of the machine;

Fig. 2is a front view of the illustrated machine with portions thereof broken away to show driving mechanism for operating the machine;

Fig. 3 is a detail side view of one of the heel carriers of the illustrated machine, portions of which have been taken in section and portions of which have been broken away clearly to show mechanism for operating a heel-clamping portion of the carrier; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a- Cuban heel, the breast of which has been grooved in the above illustrated machine.

The illustrated heel-grooving machine includ% a circular saw 10 mounted upon a motor shaft 12 to form a straight groove,

slot, or channel 14 (Fig. 4) coincident with the heightwise median line of the breast 16 of a heel 18 in the breast of the heel, and a turret 20 mounted for rotation about an axis 22 (Fig. 2) arranged substantially normal to the plane of the saw and comprising a plurality of heel carriers 24 each of which is provided with a clamp or holddown 26 for holding a positioned heel 28 thereto as the carrier 24 is moved past the circular saw 10 to form the groove 14 in the heel, the clamp 26 being operated by a cam 30 shaped to move the clamp into engagement with the positioned heel 28 while the carrier 24 rotates from a heel loading station A and past the saw and also being shaped to move the clamp 26 away from the heel 28 after the groove 14 has been formed so that the grooved heel is permitted to drop from the machine.

The machine is provided with a base 32 upon which is mounted a main frame 34 comprising a pair of standards 36, 38 and a horizontal bed portion 40. In order ro-,

tatively to support the turret 20, the standard 36 is provided with a bearing housing 42 in which a drive shaft 44 is journaled andv to which the turret 20 is fixed. The shaft 44 is driven by a gear 46 pinned to the shaft 44 and meshing with a pinion 48 mounted upon a shaft 50 connected through reduction gears (not shown) to a motor 52 (Fig.

Each of the carriers 24 (Fig. 3) includes a support 54 having a fiat surface 56 upon which the heel is positioned with its breast engaging the surface 56 and arest or support 58 hinged at 60 to the support 54 and arranged to engage the attaching face 62 of a heel resting upon the surface 56 for positioning the heel heightwise thereof upon the surface 56. In order to provide for the saw 10 entering the breasts 16 of the heels positioned upon the carriers 24 as the carriers rotate past the saw, each of the supports 54 is provided with an elongated slot 64 extending in the general direction of the plane of the saw, the relative arrangement of thesaw 10 and the carriers 24 being such that the saw 10 extends above each of the surfaces 56 to form the groove 14 of the desired depth in the breast of each of the heels as the carriers 24 are moved past the saw. For accommodating various sizes and styles of heels, each of the rests is hinged,

as already described, at 60 to its corresponding support 54 and has a projecting flange 66 carrying a screw 68 (Figs. 2 and 8) which passes through a slot 69 in the turret 20 and which has an enlarged head 72 (Fig. 2) for clamping it against the turret for setting the rest 58 in position relatively to the support 54.

In order to position the heel widthwise thereof upon each of the supports 54 so that the groove 14 when formed will be coincident with the heightwise median line of the heel breast, each of the carriers 24 comprises a pair of heel-centering fingers 74, 76 (Fig. 2) having flaring jaws 78, 80 for engaging the sides of the heel at the upper part thereof. Each of the fingers 74, 76 is provided "each of the fingers 74, 76 is provided with an extension 92 (Fig. 2) having teeth 94 at its end arranged to inter-mesh with similar teeth on the extension of the other finger.

The jaws 78, 80 are normally urged together by a spring 96 (Fig. 1) the ends of which are seated in housings 98, 100 in the rear portions of the fingers 74, 76, respectively, the tension of the spring being conveniently regulated by a screw 102 (Fig. 2) in the housing 98 of the finger 74.

For securing the positioned heel to the turret 20 prior to and during the grooving operation and for releasing the heel after the groove has been formed, each of the carriers includes the above mentioned clamp or hold- .down 26 having a heel-engaging stud 104 of non-marring material at one of its ends and having its other end secured to one end of a holddown-operating rod 106 which is journaled in a bearing housing 108 of the turret 20. In order to operate each of the clamps 26 in such a. manner that the heels will be secured to their respective carriers during an arc of rotation of the carriers from the loading station A to some point past the saw 10 and will be released from the carrier during the remaining portion of the rotation of the carriers, the machine is provided with the cam 30 above mentioned mounted upon stud shaft 110 (Fig. 2) and secured thereto by screw 112, the stud shaft being supported by and secured to the standard 38 by a screw 114.

The operating connections between the cam 30 and the holddown-operating rod 106 will next be described. A bifurcated arm 116 carrying a cam roll 118 (Figs. 2 and 3) is mounted upon one end of the holddown-operating rod 106 and is secured against movement lengthwise of the rod but may be oscillated thereon, the cam roll 118 being arranged to move in a cam groove 120 in the stationary cam 30. A lever 122 is mounted upon and keyed to the rod 106 between the bifurcations of the arm 116 and is provided with a screw 124 passing therethrough, which screw 124 is arranged to extend into a recess 126 (Fig. 3) of the bifurcated arm 116. The lever 122 is operated by the arm 116 but is arranged to yield relatively thereto in order that the stud 104 will not be positively pressed against the heel but will be forced against the heel with only sufiicient pressure to clamp the heel against the support 54 and between the rear portion of the lever 122 and the arm 116. The relative strengths of the springs 132 and 136 is such that when the spring 132 is under compression as the cam roll 118 is in engagement with the portion 138 1) of the cam groove 120 to force the stud against the heel with clamping pressure, the spring 136 will be expanded but when the cam roll 118 has been lowered to engage the portion 1 10 of the cam groove for releasing the pressure of the clamp against the heel, the spring 136 will raise the clamp 26 from the heel to allow the heel to drop from the machine and to permitthe operator to place an ungrooved heel on the carrier 2a. The desired relative cooperating positi-cns of the arm 116 and the lever 122 may be conveniently adjusted by the screw 124: which. may be secured in position on the lever 122 by a check nut 142.

A motor 1&3 (Fig. 2) for operating the shaft- 12 which carries the saw 10 is supported upon a bracket 144; having a guideway 1 16 in its upper surface. In order to provide for the adjustment of the saw 10 relatively to the turret 20 for forming grooves of varying depths in the breasts of the heels, the base 1 17 of the motor 56 is shaped to fit in the guideway 1 16 and may be conveniently moved along the guideway 1&6 for purposes of adjustment by a screw 1 18.

The operation of the machine in forming the grooves in the breasts of heels is as follows: The saw 10 is first moved relatively to the turret 20 by turning the screw 1 18 to adjust the saw 10 so that a portion thereof extends above the surfaces 56 of each of the carriers 24 as the turret 20 rotates past the saw. The rest 58 is also given a preliminary adjustment to accommodate the size and the style of the heel being grooved. A heel is then placed upon each of the carriers 24 as the carriers move past station A (Fig. 1) the clamp 26 of the carrier at that time being raised to allow the operator conveniently to place a heel upon the carrier, the breast 16 and the attaching face 62 of the heel engaging the support 54 and the rest 58, respectively, and the heel being centered widthwise thereof upon the carrier by the centering fingers 7 1 and 7 6. The operator temporarily retains his grip on the heel as the carrier 24 rotates toward the circular saw 10 until the clamp 26 engages the rear portion of the heel to secure the heel in position on the carrier. After the carrier 24 has moved past the saw 10 the clamp 26 is raised from the heel as above described to allow the grooved heel to drop from the carrier.

It will be understood that the above illustrated machine, which has been described by reference to heel blocks, may if desirable be used to form cover receiving slots or channels in the breast faces of heel blanks.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A machine for operating upon shoe parts having, in combination slot-forming means, and heel-carrying means comprising one or more heel carriers, said slot-forming means and said heel carryin means being con strained for movement relatively to each other in an orbital path to form heel-cover-rcccivslots in heels of shoes.

2. A machine for operating upon shoe parts having, in combination, Si()"C-'fC-1l1l heel-carrying means, and means constructed and arranged to constrain the heel-carrying meansfor movement in a predetermined path to transfer heels from a receiving station to an operating station and to present tl n at said latter station to said slotforming 11 ms to form heelcover-receiving siots in said heels.

3. in. machine for operating upon shoe parts having, in combination, means constructed and a "ranged to form a heel-cover-receiving slot Cuban heel, a heel carrier mounted for orbital movement relatively to the slotforming means, means constructed and arra aged to position the heel secure er to present the heel to the slot-formiu and means to release the heel said carrier a tter said slot has former...

41. A machine for operating upon shoe parts having, in combination, slot-forming means and heel-carrying means comprising one or more heel carriers mounted for orbital movement past the slot-forming means to form in the breasts of heels straight heel-cover-receiving slots each of which is coincident with the heightwise median line of the breast of the heel. I

5. A machine for operating upon shoe parts having, in combination, slot-forming means and heel-carrying means mounted for relative orbitai movement, said heel-carrying means comprising one or more heel carriers constructed and arranged to position heels as relative movement is effected between the slot-forming means and the heel-carrying means to form in the breasts of the heels straight heel-cover-receiving slots each of which is coincident with the heigh ise median line of the breast of the heel.

6. A machine for operating upon shoe parts having, in combination, a circular saw, and a member constrained for movement in a predetermined orbital path, said member comprising a plurality of heel carriers constructed and arranged to receive Cuban heels and to move them past the circular saw to form heel-cover-receiving slots in the breasts of the heels.

7 A machine for operating upon shoe parts having, in combination, a circular saw constructed and arranged to form a heel-coverreceiving slot in a heel, a plurality of heel carriers mounted for orbital movement relatively to the saw, means to position the heel securely in each of the carriers for presenting the heel to the saw, and means to release the heel from each of the carriers after said slot has been formed.

8. A machine for operating upon shoe parts having, in combination, a circular saw, and a plurality of carriers arranged to receive heels of shoes and mounted for rotation past the saw about an axis substantially normal to the plane of the saw to form straight heelcover-receiving channels in the breasts of the heels.

9. In a heel-slotting machine, a circular saw, and a plurality of carriers arranged to receive Cuban heels and mounted for orljrital movement past the saw to form heel breast cover-receiving slots in the breasts of the heels, each of said carriers comprising a device arranged to position a heel upon the carrier and a heel holddown constructed and arranged to clamp the heel to the carrier during a portion of the orbital movement of the carrier past the saw and to release the heel from the carrier after the slot has been formed.

10. In a hcehgrooving machine, a circular saw, and a plurality of carriers arranged to receive Cuban heels and mounted for orbital movement past the saw to form grooves in the breasts of the heels, each of the carriers comprising a device for rentralizi the heel. laterally thereof upon the carrier and a heel holddown constructed and arranged to clam p the heel to the carrier duringa portion of the orbital movement of the carrier past the 5 \v and to release the heel from the carrier after the groove has been formed.

11. In heel-grooving machine, a rirrula saw, and a plurality of carriers arranged to receive Cuban heels and mounted for orbital movement past the saw to form grooves in the breasts of the heels, cacti of the carriers comprising members arranged to engage op posite sides of the heel p tion the heel laterally thereof vrpon the ca 7 and a heel. holddown constructed and arranged to clamp the heel to the carrier during a portion of the. orbital. movement of the carrier past the saw and to release the heel from the carrier after the groove has been formed.

12. A heel-grooving machine having, in combination, a circular saw arranged to form a groove in the breast of a heel, and a plurality of heel carriers mounted for orbital movement past the saw, each of said carriers having heel-engaging surfaces, a heel centralizing device for positioning the heel upon the surfaces, and a cam-operated holddown constructed and arranged to grip the heel during a portion of the orbital movement of the carrier past the saw and to release the heel from the carrier after the groove has been formed.

13. A heel-grooving machine having, in

combination, a circular saw arranged to form a groove in the breast of the heel, a turret comprising a plurality of heel carriers mounted for orbital movement past the saw, each of said carriers comprising members arranged to engage angular surfaces of a heel, a heel centralizing device for positioning the heel laterally thereof upon the carriers, and a cam-operated holddown constructed and arranged to grip the positioned heel during a portion of the or Jital movement of the carriers past the saw and to release the heel from the carriers after the groove has been formed.

ll. A maeaine for operating upon shoe parts having, in combination, means constructed and arranged to form heel-cover-re- .ceiving slots in heels of shoes, one or more heel carriers mounted for orbital movement relative y to the slot-forming means, means for positioning one of the heels securely in each of the carriers for presenting the heel to the slot-forming means, means for releasing the heel from each of said carriers after said slot has been formed, and means for adusting the slot-forming means and the carriers relatively to each other for varying the depth of the slot to be formed.

15. A heehgrooving machine having, in combination, a circular saw, and a plurality of carriers arranged to receive heels of shoes and mounted for rotation past the saw about an axis substantially normal to the plane of the saw to form straight grooves in the breasts of the heels, each of the carriers comprising a device arranged to position the. heel in the carrier and a heel holddown constructed and arranged to clamp the heel to the carrier during a portion of the movement of the carrier past the saw and to release the heel from the carrier after the groove has l'ieen formed.

16. A machine for operating upon heels of shoes having, in combination, means arranged to form hecl-cover-receiving channels in the breasts of heels, a turret mounted for rotation past the channel-fm'mineg means and comprising a plurality of heel carriers scoured to the turret at circumferentially spaced portions thereof, each of which carriers is constructed and arranged to present at least one of the heels to the channel-forming means to form said channels.

17. A machine for operating upon shoes having, in combination, a circular saw arranged to form eover-margin-receiving grooves in the breasts of heels, a plurality of heel carriers mounted for orbital movement relatively to the saw and constructed and arranged successively to present heels to the saw to form said grooves, each of said carriers comprising means for engaging the breast and the attaching face of the heel and a holddown for clamping the heel against said means, and means for operating the holddown to secure the heel to the carrier during the groove-forming operation and to release the heel from the carrier after the groove has been formed.

18. A heel-grooving machine having, in combination, means for forming a groove in the breast of a Cuban heel, a turret comprising a plurality of heel carriers, each of which is provided with heel-supporting surfaces,

heel-centralizing fingers and a holddown clamp and is constructed and arranged to be rotated past the groove-forming means, and means for operating the clamp to secure the heel in position in each of the carriers and to release the heel from each of the carriers befor and after the groove has been formed respectively.

19. A heel-grooving machine having, in combination, a rotary saw constructed and arranged to form grooves in the breasts of heels, a turret mounted for rotation past the groove-forming means, and a plurality of heel carriers secured to the turret at circumferentially spaced portions thereof and constructed and arranged successively to present heels to the saw for forming said grooves, each of the carriers having a heel-breast-engaging surface above which the saw is arranged to extend as the carrier is moved past the saw.

20. A heel-grooving machine having, in combination, a circular saw, a plurality of heel carriers mounted for orbital movement relatively to the saw and constructed and ar ranged successively to present Cuban heels to the saw to form straight grooves coincident w th the heightwise median line of the breast of the heel in the breast of each of the heels, each of said carriers being provided with heel supports, heel-centralizing fingers and a holddown clamp, and means to operate the clamp to secure the heel in position upon each of the carriers and to release the heel from each of the carriers before and after the groove has been formed respectively.

21. A heel-grooving machine having, in combination, a circular saw, a plurality of h el carriers mounted for orbital movement past the saw and constructed and arranged successively to present Cuban heels to the saw for forming straight grooves coincident with the heightwise median lines of the breasts of the heels in the breasts of the heels, each of the carriers comprising a support having a surface arranged to engage the breast of a heel and above which the saw extends as the carrier is moved past the saw, and means for varying the amount of extension of the saw above said surface to form grooves of different depths in the breasts of heels.

22. In a heel-grooving machine, a heel-positioning and clamping device comprising a support arranged to engage a heel by contact with its breast, another support pivotally and the attaching face of the heel againstthe supports.

23. In a heel-grooving machine, a heelpositioning and clamping device comprising a heel support arranged to engage the breast and the attaching face of a heel, yieldable means arranged to, engage the sides of the heel for centering the heel upon said support,

cam-operated means for holding the breast and the attaching face of the heel against the support, and means for releasing the heelfrom the support. r

2%. In a heel-grooving machine, heel-positioning and clamping device comprising a heel support arranged to engage the breast and the attaching face of a heel, springpressed fingers normally urged to engage the sides of the heel and to center it upon the support, and yieldable cam-operated means for engaging the rear portion of the heel to secure the breast and the attaching face of the heel against the support and to release the heel from the support at predetermined periods. I

25. A machine for operating upon heels having, in combination, a series of heel-re- .ceiving stations each provided with a heelengaging member having an opening therein, and an operating tool, said stations and said tool bemg constructed and arranged for relative movement and the tool being arranged upon said relative movement of the stations and the tool to extend through the openings successively and beyond said members to form heel-cover-receiving channels in heel surfaces which are in engagement with said members.

26. A machine for operating upon heels having, in combination, a plurality of heelreceiving stations mounted for movement in a circuitous path and each having a heel engaging member provided with an opening, and channel-forming means constructed and arranged to extend through the openings successively and beyond the members upon movement of the stations in said path to form,

heel-cover-receiving channels in heel faces which are in engagement with said members.

27. A machine for operating upon heels having, in combination, a rotatable turret having a plurality of heel-receiving stations each of which is provided with a heel-engaging member having an opening extending therethrough, and channel-forming means constructed and arranged to extend through the openings of said members successively and beyond the members upon rotation of the turret to form heel-cover-receiving channels in heel faces which are in engagement with said members.

28. A machine for operating upon heels having, in combination, a rotatable turret comprising a plurality of heel-receiving stations each of which is provided with a heelengaging member having an opening extending t erethrough, mechanism for positioning and clamping a heel upon each of said members, and channel-forming means constructed and arranged to extend through the openings successively and beyond the said members upon rotation of the turret to form heelcover-receiving channels in the heel faces which are in engagement with said members.

29. A machine for operating upon heels having, in combination, a rotatable turret constructed and arranged to carry a plurality of heel-receiving stations each of which is provided with a member shaped to support a eel by contact with its breast and having an opening extending therethrough, mechanism for engaging the attaching face of the heel for ositioning the heel supported by said mem er circumferentially of the turret, mechanism constructed and arranged to engage opposite sides of the heel supported by said member for positioning the heel laterally thereof upon said member, and channelforming means constructed and arran ed to extend through the openings successive y and beyond said members upon rotation of the turret to form heel-cover-receiving channels in the breasts of the heels carried by the turret.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LEWIS J. BAZZONI. 

